(Phytochemicals in) Foods to Prevent and Treat diseases - Chicken pox

Chickenpox is a infection infection caused by varicella zoster virus (VZV) of which can lead to extremely itchy blisters all over the body. The disease is is a highly contagious illness and one of the classic childhood diseases.

Types of food to prevent and treat chickenpox
1. Chrysophyllum fruit
In the investigation of glycyrrhizin (GL), a food additive of plant extract for its antiviral action on varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in vitro, found that when human embryonic fibroblast (HEF) cells were treated with GL after inoculation of virus (post-treatment), the average 50%-inhibitory dose (ID50) for five VZV strains was 0.71 mM, and the selectivity index (ratio of ID50 for host-cell DNA synthesis to ID50 for VZV replication) was 30. GL was also effective against VZV replication when HEF cells were treated 24 h before the inoculation (pretreatment). Furthermore, at a concentration of 2.4 mM GL inactivated more than 99% of virus particles within 30 min at 37 degrees C. In combination with other anti-herpes drugs (acyclovir, adenine arabinoside, bromovinyldeoxyuridine, and phosphonoformate) or human native beta-interferon, GL had an additive or slightly synergistic effect on VZV replication. The mechanism of anti-VZV action is still unclear. We postulate that GL inhibits the penetration, uncoating or release of virus particles(1).

2.  Mulberry fruits
Oxyresveratrol, purified from a Thai traditional medicinal plant of Artocarpus lakoocha, was evaluated for its anti-varicella-zoster virus (VZV) activity and found that the compound exhibited IC(50) values (50%-inhibitory concentrations for virus plaque formation) of 12.82, 12.80, 12.99 and 12.82 microg/ml against wild type, thymidine kinase-deficient and two types of DNA polymerase mutants with acyclovir-resistance, respectively. Thus oxyresveratrol showed a broad spectrum of anti-VZV activity with a mechanism of action different from that of acyclovir(2).

3. Others foods
In the study to evaluate Antiviral and virucidal activities of natural products, indicated that natural products, in particular ingredients of foods and drinks we normally consume or metabolites present in human body at low concentrations, would have advantage over synthetic drugs as antiviral agents for safety concerns. For this reason, we have been studying natural products for their effects on virus inactivation and growth. Such natural products, which we have been focusing, include gallate derivatives, caffeine present in coffee, caffeic acid present in coffee and various fruits, ascorbic and dehydroascorbic acids (such as cherries) and a cell metabolite, arginine(such as lean meat and fish)(3)

4. Etc.

 
Sources
(1) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18855727
(2) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19635502
(3) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19601794